District College category, Page 19

Mary Smithnosky knew something was wrong. These weren’t the usual aches and pains from being an athlete. It wasn’t normal for discomfort to come and go so readily. Off and on from the time she was 13, she had spells where her hands or legs would tingle and go numb...

In the final at-bat of her softball playing career, Saint Vincent’s Alex Dillner, as she had done so many times before, hit a line drive toward the left side. But Geneva shortstop Madison Forsythe made a diving grab of the hot shot to retire Dillner. “I was so upset that...

Softball pitching in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference already is a grind for hitters, but it just got tougher. Maddie Griffin, the former strikeout ace from Ligonier Valley, is leaving Youngstown State to play at IUP. Griffin, a rising sophomore, said the move was based on nothing more than wanting...

John Altieri has those pre-tournament butterflies and is anxious to see what the competition looks like. “I’m excited to get going,” the former Norwin standout wrestler said. “I wish I could leave today.” While the feeling is familiar, it not a wrestling tournament that awaits him in two months. No,...

You can call him Jim Bob or even by his real name, if you like. But please, don’t refer to James Domer as Jim or Jimmy or any other variation. It’s not that Pitt-Greensburg’s sensational freshman outfielder wouldn’t answer to those names, but virtually no one uses them to refer...

To become a better hitter, Deer Lakes grad Andrew Bokulich sought advice from a former pitcher. During the summer, Bokulich did some landscaping work for Marc Wilkins, who pitched in 245 games for the Pittsburgh Pirates between 1996 and 2001, going 19-14 with three saves. Bokulich asked Wilkins what his...

Going from Penn State to Pitt seems borderline taboo, but Josh Spiegel is doing the unthinkable. He is leaving one side of the in-state rivalry for the other. The former Penn-Trafford standout will depart Penn State after three seasons to play his final year at Pitt. A catcher, Spiegel entered...

Justin Johns does more at Washington & Jefferson than spoil opposing quarterbacks’ Saturdays. An outstanding student in addition to being a standout linebacker, the Franklin Regional product received a prestigious award to cap his junior year. Johns was the male recipient of the Paul Reardon Award, given to a student-athlete...

Hampton graduates Casey and Cam Marshalwitz have played baseball for most of their lives, but they’ve never had a season like this one. For the first time, the brothers were full-time teammates, sharing the field at Division I Youngstown State. “It was fun,” said Casey, a senior relief pitcher at...

When Jenna Uncapher committed to compete with the track and field team at Clarion, she had no intention of becoming a heptathlete. She wanted to high jump. That’s what she was most comfortable doing. That’s where she felt she excelled while at Hempfield. She also had done long jump, hurdles...

Allison Dejidas was facing the end of her softball career. With her Mercyhurst team down 3-1 to Bloomsburg in the seventh inning of a PSAC Tournament elimination game, the senior came to the plate with two runners on and two outs. Dejidas singled up the middle to load the bases...

At this rate, Jack Oberdorf’s postseason award total is going to catch up to his home run total. The senior third baseman from Seton Hill added a prestigious honor as he joined sophomore teammate and pitcher Blake Barker as a Division 2 Conference Commissioners Association All-America honorable mention selection. Oberdorf,...

At any level of baseball, there are pitchers (i.e. throwers) and there are pitchers (i.e. the real McCoys). In other words, the real McCoys put some thought into the matter. It’s not just, “wind up and fire darts.” Which brings us to Jarrett Heilman, the former Freeport right-hander who continues...

Facing the end of her competitive running career, Clarion senior Kaylen Sharrow had one box she still wanted to check: qualify for the PSAC track and field championships. The Burrell grad had been there before, qualifying with relay teams. But she hadn’t been able to make it in an individual...

More postseason honors have rolled in for Washington & Jefferson baseball standout Tyler Horvat. What hasn’t the Penn-Trafford graduate won? Horvat, a pitcher and outfielder, became the first player in the history of the W&J program to earn three All-America honors when he made D3Baseball.com First Team All-America, the second...

Until there is a more permanent situation, Saint Vincent will use an all-hands-on-deck approach to oversee and operate its athletic department heading into the summer months and possibly beyond. The leadership of sports at the Unity college, at least temporarily, will be in the hands of several coaches, SVC president...

Seneca Valley grad Justin Jennings will be the 12th head coach of the Edinboro men’s basketball program, the school announced Tuesday. “I am honored and excited to have the opportunity to lead the men’s basketball program at Edinboro,” Jennings said in a press release. “This is a dream come true...

Jake Boord became the first All-American in the Allegheny College men’s track and field program in a decade. The Hempfield graduate and Gators junior finished fourth in the javelin at the NCAA Division III Championships in Pittsford, N.Y. The two-time national qualifier improved over his 12th-place finish from last season...

Millersville’s potent bats ended Seton Hill’s baseball season Saturday, sending the Griffins to an 11-6 loss in Game 2 of an NCAA Super Regional. Millersville (45-8) swept the best-of-three series and heads to the NCAA Division II tournament in Cary, N.C. Like Game 1, Seton Hill (48-13) jumped out to...

Cole Houser and Justin Taylor hit back-to-back home runs as part of a five-run fourth inning, leading Millersville to a 9-4 victory over Seton Hill in the first game of a best-of-three NCAA Division II Super Regional on Friday in Millersville. The teams will meet again at 11 a.m. Saturday....

When he wasn’t seeing playing time right away at Coastal Carolina, Andrew Muraco began to take inventory on his college baseball future. The former Franklin Regional star redshirted his first year and started browsing for another opportunity. It didn’t have to be at a Division I program, but it had...

When he left Penn-Trafford to begin a college golf career, Cade Patterson never could have imagined he would have his name etched in a program’s record book. Patterson, a sophomore at Washington & Jefferson, made school history when he carded the best finish by a Presidents’ player at the NCAA...

Silvio Ionadi enjoyed a standout high school career with the Plum baseball team, but he knew nothing he did with the Mustangs would matter once he crossed over to college baseball. Especially as a freshman. For first-year college players, playing time often is hard to come by. So when he...

One of the most versatile players in all of Division III baseball, Tyler Horvat has been the ultimate dual-threat player for Washington & Jefferson. The senior pitcher and outfielder earned two major awards from the Presidents’ Athletic Conference because of the respect he demands. The Penn-Trafford alum was named player...